Excellent ponits, and that's how we have always run things. Consider, however, how far the cost of even a SINGLE "high" lifestyle outlet would stretch to cover "dress down" items? If the 'runner chose to, I see no reason they might not have a little trunk in the closet with "special" low class outfits. It's the mindset, after all, that makes a good 'runner.

THREAD TITLE is optional.
No, not on Runs. Well, ok, if you're a big, bad cybertroll you might live to tell about it ^^

I remember reading in one of the books (BBB? I'm away from my source material for a page cite) that your clothing was one of the the things that went away if you failed to maintain the lifestyle (Pay up or get out is the header IIRC). That would imply that the clothing apropriate to your lifestyle (and its maintenance and replacement) would be a factored-in part of your lifestyle. If you "paid" for it as you suggest, that would keep it from being taken, but then it also will "expire" as in become "dated" so you will begin to stick out at a given level. Even "low" lifestyles assume some updating and replacement. Fibers in 2070 are tough, but they do wear out. In fact, given modern trends in quality, I see no reason 6th world corps would focus any more on durability than they have to in order to drive repeat sales.

An exact reference would be helpful, but I'm inclined to think this is mostly fluff and the author just needed some examples of how your life will suck if you don't pay the bills. I think its safe to say that there are no hard and fast rules and the fact that they list "clothes" separate from lifestyles means there are reasons for buying clothes distinct from lifestyle. The most logical reason, to my thinking, is to purchase clothes for a lifestyle you don't maintain (as has been discussed above). Just like your lifestyle might include a car or other transportation, but if you want a rigger-equipped death-dealing speedster you still need to buy it separately.

And really, where would a fashionista social adept be without her endless wardrobe for every locale and occasion?

SR4A, P.267: Lifestyles

Lifestyle measures the quality of a character’s daily life and her living expenses, including shelter, food, entertainment, clothing and so on. It does not cover technical resources, weapons, magical equipment, professional hirelings, or other major but not personal items.

I agree wholeheartedly with the first sentement. The car is included with any lifestyle High (20 points) or higher, per the Shadowrun Companion, P.260: Vehicles. But that vehicle is leased, not owned, so you can't modify it. That's clearly stated. And the final point: because my character would! is dead on. Kerenshara's not that much of a clothes horse at the moment mostly because she lost all what she had for all intents and purposes recently. But her "high" lifestyle covers plenty of clothes, shoes and other accessories for now.

They'd be a social Mystic Adept with the Fashion spell and a specialization in Manipulation? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

*clears throat*

"Nothing to see here, move along. Move along." ::Kerenshara

This is the original premise I built Kerenshara along - MA with Voice Control, Facial Sculpt, Melanin Control, the Fashion spell and the Makeover spell. Give me eighteen seconds, and I'll give you a whole new me.

Heh, I definately know that one of my female players would spend a whole session on in-character shoe shopping trips at the Renraku Arcology Mall if I let her.* Then again, I know many of my male players would use the same time to hang out in-character at Weapons World or the lateast Westwind dealership if they could.

I agree with the Lifestyle comments above - that general clothing is included therein. I also think that 10% of appropriate Lifestyle nuyen cost is very near the mark of getting a single outfit of that particular standard. I usually play the colthing issue as inclusive of the Lifestyle, but if the characters need/want something specific for a run, or as a one-shot item then that's what the clothing costs are for. Quite a few of my players have learnt to purchase separate "running" attire - usually disposable and often with little additional perks like hidden pockets and concealing lines. got to keep your incriminating evidence down to a minimum - bloodstains are sooooo hard to shift.

[*actually, she's quick to draw up a sketch of her character in the new outfit - I've got a handout folder with around twenty in already. It's almost like the latest Matel catalogue: Here we have Street Combat runner, Hippy NAN runner, Corporate Shark runner, Barrens Streetwalker-Ho runner... (just replace runner with Barbie and you get the idea, neh?)]

*Rolls on the floor, trying to breathe and wiping away tears*

Seriously though, bloodstains? There's a spell that (if you think about it) fixes that: sterilize. Removes any trace evidence, including blood. Why shouldn't it work on clothing, too?

I have sheets for each persona my character adopts on a run, like your handout folder. That's why it's so funny to me: Each one has a default outfit apropriate to the roll listed on it.

Sterilize does NOT remove bloodstains. All it does is make the blood useless as a material link and for genetics-linked evidence. It's still blood, and it's still a stain.

That's more or less one of the core components of the MA I'm playing at the moment as well. One of these days I just need to research a couple of custom spells to complete the package: a Health spell that grows hair quickly (insta-beard!--styling to be handled by Makeover) and a minor shapechanging Manipulation spell for doing retinal modification. And if I really get frisky (that's probably a loaded term to use here (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) ), a stronger Manipulation spell for some temporary magical gender-bending.

Physical Illusion (Mask) essentially could handle the gender, except to tactile. I would say it would be based off the shapechange line.

I talked with my GM about the makeover spell, and we agreed that as a manipulation spell, it made sense to be able to "extrude" hair. I also suggested it could be an offshoot of healthy glow, which is health. (Instant clean up.) But a custom spell like that would be low drain and difficulty to concoct. We decided it wasn't worth it overall to make a spell that's already half way between two existing spells. I suppose your answer is technically more RAW. For retinal mods, that's a real beast, because you have to be able to percieve the retina to be duplicated in three dimensions then internalize it. Same for fingerprints. I just sucked it up and went with the nanoware.

Are they any good? You should encourage her to post them somewhere.

And 10x for shoes.